Footprints in Heaven Pt 1: Launch Day
Launch Day By Rob Dearsley John Roth leaned forward against the flight harness, eager to get his first look at the St. Marie. The shuttle rounded the curve of the station, giving him his first look at the ship. Floodlights on the docking gantries glinted off her long lines. Of course, he already knew every inch of his new comand. The last three weeks had been spent reading about her and studying her plans in preparation for the launch. Plans and manuals hadn’t done the St. Marie justice. The shallow curve of her upper hull hugged the lower sections like a protective lover, shielding them. The ship was two kilometres long, half the size of Gateway Station itself. She was a beauty and she was all his. Although in truth, it wasn’t the ship that had drawn him out of retirement, it was the mission. “All crew and passengers, secure for docking,” the shuttle pilot’s voice broke Roth’s train of thought. After one last look at the St. Marie, he leaned back and tighte